2013 New Speeding Law in Illinois

The State of Illinois has increased the consenquences for a person speeding over 31 mph.

Here is the law:

Speeding 31 mph Plus Above Limit – No Supervision

Courts may not grant court supervision to a violator when they are charged with speeding that is 31 miles per hour or more in excess of the applicable maximum speed limit established under the Illinois Vehicle Code or a local ordinance.

(P.A. 97-0831 Effective July 1, 2013 Amends 720 ILCS 5/7-1)

The law is referred to as Julie’s Law because Julie Gorczynski, a 17-year-old Lincoln-Way North High School student, was killed just a week after her graduation when 21-year-old Lukasz Marszalek hit her car while driving at least 76 mph in a 40 zone.

This new speeding law only applies to tickets issued AFTER July 1, 2013. So, if you have a pending ticket for speeding over 31mph, court supervision is still an option without having to amend the speed of the ticket if you received the ticket prior to July 1, 2013.

The way I handle a speeding charge of 31+ mph now is really no different than before the change in Illinois’ new speeding law. This is because a Judge is not likely to give a person court supervision for speeding if they are going over 31+ in the first place. Therefore, I work on having the speed of the ticket amended to a lower speed.

For example, if I have a client speeding 105 mph in a 65 mph zone, (40 mph over the posted speed limit), I would seek to have the speed amended to speeding 95mph in a 65 mph zone, (30 mph over the speed limit). This way the judge accepted the agreement and court supervision could be given.

The fastest client I have represented was a client driving a Viper. He was traveling 150 mph in a 45 mph zone on Army Trail Road in Wayne, Illinois (DuPage County). The police chief pulled him over and had him on radar. News of the arrest and the high speed made the newspaper, which made my job harder. I was able to prevent any jail time, (the DuPage County Prosecutor’s Office wanted my client to serve 30 days in jail) and I was also able to prevent my client from having to perform any community service. I was able to keep the fine very low for such a high speed: $500. Since this ticket my client sold his Viper and has not receive any additional tickets.

The old saying is that “Speed Kills.” As an attorney I have to explain to the prosecutor and the Judge that you understand how dangerous speeding is and the circumstances of why you were speeding as much as you were and that you will not speed to this degree again.

Feel free to contact me about your specific situation to obtain my free no-obligation legal advise and what my fee would be if you hired me for your case.